That Should Be Me
by xxluvstrukxx
Summary: Falling in love is a hard task to complete. But when it's with your brother's girlfriend, well it could get a little messy.
1. First Day

**Hey Guys! So here's a new story. I decided I was going to write this because **_I Want a Guy_ **only has one chapter remaining. I'm still debating whether or not I should finish **_Unconnected Love_** and **_Serving Saturday_**. I don't like where I left off with them considering they haven't been updated in almost a year and they're nowhere near being done. This story might take two weeks for me to put up the second chapter. I have to finish summer work before I go to the beach next week so I'm going to be swamped with work. After that I'm going to try to update this once a week. **

A new school year meant more homework and less free time. Everyone in East High dreaded the awful day in which they would get into their cars or load onto the school buses at 6 in the morning to make it to class before they were considered late. One of these kids was the infamous Tyler Bolton. Tyler was only a junior and already a legend at East High. He was captain of the football team and his cockiness made sure everyone knew it. This might be considered a turnoff to some people but Gabriella Montez obviously didn't care about her boyfriend's big head.

Gabriella was the girl that every girl envied, whether it was because she was smart, pretty, or just the fact that she was able to kiss Tyler freely. She held a spot on both the cheerleading squad as well as the scholastic decathlon team. Many wondered why Tyler was interested in her but he knew it was because she was there for him when others weren't. Gabriella was often seen over at the Bolton's household. In fact some would say she spent too much time over there.

"Gabriella! You alright?" Tyler asked as he walked up to her doorstep at 7:30 in the morning.

"Yeah, Yeah. I'm fine. Let's just go." She quickly walked out, locking the door on the way.

"Is it-"

"Just leave it Tyler." Tyler walked over and opened the passenger door for Gabriella to get into the car. He then proceeded to walk onto his side of the car. He wanted to help her but he didn't know how. So he just got into the car and put his key into the ignition.

"I know that you don't like to talk about it, but you know I'm here for you right?" He spoke up after several minutes of silence.

Gabriella sighed and ran a hand through her hair, something she did when she was aggravated. Tyler made it a point in his head not to bring it up again. They continued their journey to school in silence, not even regarding each other's presence.

"I have to go and get my schedule. I'll meet up with you later." She said and kissed him emotionlessly. He watched as his girlfriend walked up the steps of the school and open the door fiercely. He sighed and made his way up those same steps, silently cursing himself for bringing anything up.

"Yo Tyler!" Tyler whipped his head around to see a football coming his way. Without a second thought he reached up and grabbed the ball from the air. He looked up to see who threw it and saw his best friend Mark Walders coming down the hall. Tyler laughed and went to open his locker. "What's up man?"

Tyler stood still concentrating on the combination he hadn't had to remember for 3 months. Debating on which number came first in the sequence he decided to answer Mark. "Nothing much. You?"

"Dude, Jamaica was so awesome. Not only was there hot girls on the beach but I got my own room so I had those same girls in my room." Tyler snorted. Of course Mark would brag about banging each and every chick he laid his eyes on. That was just Mark.

"Is that all you did all summer?" Tyler still had his hand on his lock trying every combination that came to his head. He was growing frustrated but didn't want to walk all the way to guidance to ask.

"That's more that you can say you did." Mark teased and shook Tyler's hair. Even though he hated to admit it, Mark was right. He hated the fact that Gabriella wanted to wait until at least graduation. She made it clear last year at the state championships.

"Shut up." Tyler grumbled and slammed his hand against his locker causing the entire hallway to look at him.

"Dude, chill. You'll get some someday." Mark patted his back.

"No, it's not that." Tyler shook Mark's hand off of his back. "I can't remember my fucking combination!"

Troy had been watching the whole situation and quietly laughed to himself. Because Tyler had to drive Gabriella to school, Troy had been forced to ride the bus. He had to listen to several freshman girls rant over how fun high school was going to be and how hot Justin Bieber was. (I love Justin Bieber lol) There was only so much squealing he could take.

"I have Darbus for homeroom." Troy said as if the world was going to end.

"That sucks." Chad laughed and patted his friend's back. "I have Vickers. He's not that much better but at least I don't have the drama queen."

"Shut up." Troy opened his locker and put some books into it. He had been stuck with Darbus for both freshman and sophomore year and now he had her again for Junior.

"Damn, Evans is hotter than usual." Troy's head snapped up and watched as Sharpay strutted down the hallway. He laughed and put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Keep dreaming." Chad shook Troy's hand off of his shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"She'll see that I'm what she wants sooner or later." Troy laughed and looked past Sharpay to see Gabriella walking down the hallway paying more attention to her schedule than to who was in front of her. Sharpay and Gabriella have never liked each other which struck everyone as odd. They were so much alike but couldn't stand the other being in the same room. Troy just figured it was because of Tyler and let it go.

"Stop admiring your brother's girlfriend." Troy looked at his friend confused.

"I'm not admiring Gabriella." He retorted but again let his gaze fall upon the brunette walking towards his brother's locker. The bell rang interrupting Chad's laughter and Troy began to walk towards Darbus's room. He strained to hear the angelic voice that filled his ears.

"It's 15-24-01. Dumb ass." Gabriella smiled as she spoke to Tyler and Troy felt his heart melt. He loved that smile. He heard Tyler fake laugh and say a quiet thank you before he entered his classroom.


	2. Second Glance

Gabriella walked down the halls that day not caring enough to pay attention. She'd been through the first day speeches for 10 years now; Something told her she wasn't missing much. After she missed homeroom to talk to Mr. Matsui about the decathlon practices interfering with the schedule for cheerleading she decided that nothing else mattered. A few of her classes were shared with her friends but other than that, nothing special happened.

"Hey. You ready to go?" Tyler asked as she approached his car. She wasn't in the mood to bring up this morning but she knew that he wouldn't let it go.

"Actually, I'm going to Taylor's house to work on stuff with the decathlon team." She said looking at him, trying to read his expression. He appeared indifferent and continued to play with his keys.

"Alright. Am I taking you there?" Normally she would have appreciated the gesture but it wasn't a normal day. She ran her hand through her hair and noticed that he sighed.

"I think I'm just going to walk."

"Oh come on Gabs, what the hell is your problem? Because last time I checked, being a caring boyfriend isn't a crime!" Tyler threw his hands in the air.

"I just- I don't want to talk about it, ok?" Gabriella put her hand on her hip while putting the majority of her weight on her right foot.

"We don't have to! I don't want to. I just want you to talk to me again." He pleaded while once again focusing the attention of his hands back on playing with his keys. Gabriella stood there debating silently about whether or not to take him up on his offer. "Please Gabs."

"Fine. Do you know where Taylor lives?" She asked seemingly annoyed and not caring whether or not she showed it. He studied her for a brief moment deciding whether or not she was actually mad. After figuring she wasn't as mad as she was when she first walked up, he shrugged his shoulders.

"You could show me." She nodded and opened her own door before climbing in. Tyler shook his head and got into his own seat and started the car once again.

Troy entered his house at 3:30 after once again listening to giddy girls talk about what happened that day and who they had a crush on. He ran a hand through his hair frustrated and made his way into the kitchen to grab a snack. His brother's car wasn't in the driveway which wasn't unusual. Tyler always finds something to do so he doesn't have to hang out at the house. Troy, on the other hand, never minded staying home and hanging out there.

"Where's your brother?" Lucille Bolton asked as she saw her son enter the kitchen. Lucille tried very hard to keep her twins friends but along the way she discovered that no matter what she did, they were their own person. As upsetting as it seemed to her, she accepted the fact that Troy and Tyler rarely ever spoke to each other anymore. She figured that they'd come around and accept each other once again.

"How the hell should I know?" Troy opened the fridge after finding nothing in the pantry.

"Language." Troy rolled his eyes and reached in to grab a container of pudding. "Well do you know when he's going to be home?" Troy turned to look at his mom for the first time since he got home. She was holding a load full of laundry- probably Tyler's- and was standing there trying to clean up the dirty dishes she had left from her lunch.

"Not a clue." He said indifferently and went over to help his mom. Walking over to the sink to wash the dishes, he heard his mom sigh. This agitated him but he failed to show it.

"Well could you please find out?" Troy groaned and turned to face his mom again.

"Why? He always makes curfew!"

"Troy." His mother warned and proceeded to leave the room with the full hamper. Troy groaned and got his cell phone out of his pocket.

Tyler made it to Taylor's house in record time. Instead of just dropping her off however, he joined in on the meeting and helped as much as he could. He wasn't in the mood to drive a crabby Gabriella home so he tried his best to be as patient with her as he could.

"Can you hand me that bottle please?" Tyler looked around for the bottle Taylor requested and came across a water bottle with green liquid in it. Carefully picking it up so it wouldn't spill, he handed it over with a smile that was easily returned. Taylor had been watching Gabriella and Tyler closely and found it odd how neither had said more than two words to each other since they both walked through the door. Ordinarily they'd be making each other laugh or flirting endlessly with one another.

"So, what exactly is this meeting for?" Tyler asked after watching them work for several minutes.

"We're planning for out next meet." A kid Tyler didn't know spoke up as he grabbed the green liquid from Taylor's hands.

"Oh. That's cool." Tyler tried to sound enthused but failed. Gabriella rolled her eyes in return, catching him on his bluff.

"I know. We're challenging McCoster High. They beat us last year, but not this year." The kid started rambling but Tyler stopped paying attention. In all honesty, he didn't really care what the kid had to say. He focused his attention on Gabriella who was talking to Taylor about some math problem that neither could figure out. "You should come. It would be so cool." Tyler was taken aback by the sudden invitation.

"Uh, Yeah. Sure. When is it?"

"Next Tuesday." Tyler searched his head for an excuse, any excuse. He looked at Gabriella for help but she just turned back towards the unsolvable math problem.

"Aw, shit. That's the day before the opening game. I wish I could though." Tyler feigned a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Again he looked at Gabriella, who he expected to be smiling, but instead was frowning. Tyler looked at his phone and noticed it was already 6 o'clock. "I have to head home. Gabriella, do you need a ride?"

"It's not on the way. You're going to be late for curfew."

"I don't care. C'mon Gabs." He stood up and held his hand out. Gabriella sighed and looked at his face. "Or not?"

"I'll just have my mom come and get me. Go." She faked a smile and turned back to Taylor.

"Fine, alright. Whatever." Tyler let out an agitated groan and walked off towards the front door. Gabriella sighed as she watched him leave, closing the door abruptly. She didn't understand why she was always expected to be at his games but he openly fished through his head for excuses to avoid going to hers. He used to come to each and every meet but now she was lucky to see him there once a year.

Troy looked around his room tiredly as his alarm sounded through the walls. He reluctantly got up, stretching his arms and yawning. He scratched his bare chest and wandered towards his bathroom to take a quick shower before heading to school.

Once finished he lazily traveled down the stairs where his mom was waiting for both hi and Tyler to eat breakfast. She was placing a bowl of scrabled eggs on the table expecting them to be eaten. Troy heard his stomach grumble and noticed for the first time he was hungry. As soon as he sat down Tyler came pounding down the stairs.

"What's the rush?" Lucille asked as she turned swiftly to face her son.

"I have to pick up Gabriella." Tyler grabbed a glass of orange juice, took a sip and then ran off towards the door.

"Why so early?" Lucille crossed her arms across her chest not too happy about her son leaving in the middle of breakfast.

"She has some meeting or something. I'll just grab breakfast at the school." And as fast as he came into the room he was out.

"You know sometimes I wonder why he's with that girl. She's asking too much of him." Troy rolled his eyes at his mom's words. He knew that even if it wasn't for Gabriella, he'd find some way to get out of the house quickly.

"She's not that bad." He argued back while finished up his breakfast.

"And you would know this how?" She inquired, irritated by her son's bluntness.

"She's in some of my classes." He replied. "I'm going to get going. Can I use the car?" She looked back at him like he had just grown two heads. "I'm not going to crash it. Plus I'm coming home right after school."

"Fine. But right after school. No exceptions." Troy nodded and retrieved the keys from the counter before heading out the door.

Gabriella walked in her second class that day not expecting to see any familiar faces. She sat in an empty seat by the window and directed her attention to the bird sitting on a branch.

"Is this seat taken?" She turned her head around to see her boyfriend's brother standing there with a smile. She smiled and shook her head before pushing her books closer to herself so they weren't in his way.

"No. It's all yours." She looked at him more closely and smiled. He didn't look as similar to Tyler as some would expect considering they were born 5 minutes apart. For instance Tyler had bright green eyes that resembled the color of grass in the spring, while Troy had blue eyes. Troy's hair was longer and a couple shades lighter than Tyler's, yet both had brown hair.

"Thanks." He sat down and looked at the board before turning his attention back to Gabriella. "You weren't here yesterday, were you?"

"There was a problem with my schedule so I switched to this class." Gabriella said while nodding her head. He inhaled deeply, showing he knew what that was like.

"Well then I'm going to share some words of wisdom with you." He said which made her laugh. "First of all, if you're talking to him one on one, you should probably hold your breath. He smells like tuna and I learned that the hard way." She giggled.

"Good to know."

"No seriously, I thought I was going to die." Throughout the remainder of the period, he found that her laugh was highly contagious. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't help but smile when she laughed. He made a mental note to make her laugh as much as he could. The bell rang and both teens jumped, not expecting the class to end that quickly. While everyone raced out of the room they sat there collecting their things slowly.

"So, I'll see you around?" Gabriella inquired with a smile which Troy easily returned.

"Yeah, sure." Troy held open the classroom door for Gabriella to exit before him.

"Don't forget to study for the test tomorrow." She giggled when he groaned.

"Right because I'll really need to know the phases of Mitosis later in life." He replied sarcastically which made her laugh again. She hated to admit it but she had never laughed more in the presence of one guy as she did Troy.

"You never know." She answered and began to walk down the hallway in the opposite way Troy had to go. Peering back every so often she noticed that she had never given Troy more than one minute of her time before. From what Tyler had to say about him, she never really gave it much thought. But now as she took a second glance at Troy, she realized that she really wanted to get to know her boyfriend's brother a little better.

**Thanks so much for the review on the first Chapter. Those reviews are the only reason why I'm updating this today instead of in two weeks like I originally said. Because I'm doing this though doesn't mean that I'm going to update quicker. I really need to focus on stupid summer work. I'll try to update this story by Friday, but don't hold your breath. :) Thanks again for the reviews. **


	3. Three Words

Tyler hadn't known why it happened, but it did. Gabriella had ditched him. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have minded that much. He knew that she had other friends and priorities other than him. Angrily, Tyler slammed his car door after finding the note that explained the reasons behind Gabriella not needing a ride. He crumpled it up and threw it on the floor before starting his car and leaving East High's parking lot.

"You're kidding right?" Gabriella giggled while putting a piece of popcorn into her mouth. She was currently at the Bolton's house but it wasn't because of her boyfriend. It was because of her lab partner.

"Nope. It's the truth." Troy replied smiling. They had gone to the library to get books about the topic of their report that was due in a week. After about an hour of doing prep work for it they became bored and went downstairs to find something to do. They came across several old movies and popped some popcorn.

"That's not possible. Pikachu doesn't die." Gabriella said skeptically while Troy chuckled. Pokémon had been Troy's favorite show when he was growing up and surprisingly it was also Gabriella's. She grew out of her infatuation with the show quicker than Troy did though.

"You're right but it would have been cool if he did. Talk about Drama." Troy shrugged his shoulder while grabbing a couple pieces of popcorn to shove into his mouth.

"Ash would probably kill himself though." Gabriella giggled when Troy shrugged his shoulders indifferently once again.

"That's ok. They had Brock and Misty." Troy laughed when Gabriella's mouth hung open at his apathy towards Ash.

"That's so mean. Ash was my favorite." Gabriella crossed her arms earning her a smile from Troy.

"Why?"

"Don't tell anyone this but I had a secret crush on him when I was little." She whispered while putting her finger to her mouth.

"You did realize that he was just a cartoon, right? My lab partner isn't insane is she?" Troy's eyebrows furrowed together which made Gabriella laugh.

"I was little! I didn't know the difference." Gabriella argued back as she stood up collecting her things.

"Mrs. Gabriella Ketchum." Troy said slowly testing the sound of the name on his tongue. He contemplated for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "Catchy."

"I know right?" She exclaimed excitedly and he laughed. "I'm going to head home before I get in trouble for ignoring curfew." Troy nodded in understanding before reopening his bedroom door. Sure enough when he turned towards the hallway, Tyler was standing there with his arms crossed.

"Oh uh hey." Troy said awkwardly before turning around to sit back on his bed. "What's up?"

Tyler ignored his brother's comments and turned to Gabriella. "This is what you ditched me for? Stupid Pokémon movies?"

"Well actually we were working on a project for Chem." Gabriella started but was cut off before she could finish.

"It sure didn't seem like you were working on a project!"

"Well actually we got bored and raided the basement for something to do." Troy explained from his sitting position on his bed.

"I didn't fucking ask you!" Tyler spat back focusing his attention on his little brother. No matter how old and mature he got, Tyler would always hold the five minutes over Troy's head. Tyler had been in the world five extra minutes before Troy decided he would grace everyone with his presence, therefore he deserved more.

"Tyler!" Gabriella screamed. "We were working on a project and then got bored. We went downstairs and found some movies. Movies without popcorn is just weird so we popped some popcorn. Stop letting your stupid insecurities get the best of the situation." Tyler stood there frozen not knowing what to say. Sure, Gabriella had yelled at him a countless number of times but never once had she actually put the blame on him. He suddenly heard Troy chuckle and turned to glare at his brother. They heard a car start and speed away.

"Dude, what the fuck is your problem?" Tyler growled at his younger brother. Troy stopped laughing to look at his brother seriously.

"She's my lab partner. We were doing work." Troy repeated making it clear in his tone that it was going to be the last time he explained it.

"Stay away from her or I swear to G-d you're going to regret it." Tyler exited Troy's room letting the door slam behind him. Troy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He really hadn't meant to upset Tyler, he was just having a good time with his lab partner. _That's right Bolton. She's just a lab partner. Nothing more. _

The next morning Gabriella woke up to several text messages and missed calls; All from the same person. She switched her phone off and went to go and take a shower. Downstairs she could hear them doing the same thing they always did. Sighing for the second time that morning she got into the shower letting the warm water wash away all her thoughts. After what felt like hours of avoiding the inevitable she went downstairs to be once again dragged into another argument.

Tyler threw his phone against the wall as he heard the other end once again go to voicemail. He needed to fix what he seemed to have destroyed with a couple of careless comments. He made his way downstairs to eat the breakfast his mother had surely made. When he reached the kitchen he saw Troy already helping himself to the homemade waffles. He frowned but nonetheless sat down across from him.

"Hey sweetie. Staying in today?" Mrs. Bolton inquired as she handed her eldest son a plate. Troy smirked while looking back down at his plate.

"Yes. Because of you're stupid son." Tyler spat back and Lucille sighed. Of course the only time she got with both of her sons in the same room they were fighting.

"What did you do Troy?" Lucille wasn't really interested in the accusations, knowing that both of her sons over reacted several times before.

"He is the reason why me and Gabriella broke up!"

"Actually it's Gabriella and I." Troy replied while smiling sarcastically at his brother. "And no, it wasn't me. It was you. You're the one who went all world war three."

"You and Gabriella broke up?" Lucille asked before Troy had the chance. Tyler shrugged and violently tore apart the waffles in front of him.

"Well, not exactly."

"Troy what exactly did you do?" Troy looked up from his plate surprised that he was being blamed.

"I didn't do anything! Me and Gabriella were just doing a stupid Chemistry project."

"Actually it's Gabriella and I." Tyler mimicked his brother to irritate him. "And you weren't doing your stupid project! You were watching Pokémon!"

"We were taking a fucking break!" Troy yelled as if he had explained this hundreds of times before. Lucille gasped and began to yell at Troy for using foul language but was interrupted by the door slamming. Troy looked at his mom who was shaking her head, irritated by her two sons. She put up her hands and began to wash the dished that her sons neglected to acknowledge. Troy took this time to stand up from the kitchen table and exit the house the same way Trevor had; with a slam of the door.

"Hey." Troy was greeted by Chad as he walked through the doors to East High. Troy didn't respond but kept walking towards his locker. He looked across the hallway at his brother and Gabriella. Gabriella was running wild hands through her hair while explaining the situation over and over again the same way it had been explained before. Troy sighed knowing that in a couple of days they'd be back together and he'd again have little chance with her. "Dude what's up?"

"Nothing." Chad watched as his best friend slammed his locker door shut and walked quickly to his first period class. He wasn't sure what but he knew something was going on. Something bigger than Troy could handle by himself, but instead of following his friend like he ordinarily would have done, he trudged off to his own classroom.

Troy opened the door to his chemistry class earlier than he expected to. He needed to clear his head and do some homework, but they were the farthest thing from his mind. He heard voices from within but opened the door anyway.

"Well it's about my partner." He heard Gabriella's voice fill the room. Noting that he was the subject of the current conversation he quieted down in order to make his presence unknown.

"Ah, Troy Bolton. What about him?"

"Can I switch?" The three words he'd been dreading to hear filled his ears making his heart race. He didn't want another partner but it was evident that she did. The words echoed through his head and he couldn't stop them. They just kept repeating over and over again and it killed him.

"Well, if you think it's the best idea." Gabriella smiled softly and turned to the door only to find Troy standing there shocked.

"Troy." She quietly breathed out but he had already left the classroom.

**A/N: Back from the beach. I start school next Wednesday so I'm hoping to update once before then and then hopefully every Sunday after that. Yes, I'm going weekly. Unconnected Love might be updated today. I'm not sure though. It'd be easier to update it on Monday though. Don't forget to review! **


	4. Four Things

Troy Bolton was sure of three things. He was sure that Chad Danforth would always have his back no matter what happened; He was sure that Tyler wouldn't. He was sure that he would always be able to make the perfect jump shot no matter how much practice time he missed; He was sure Tyler couldn't. He was one hundred percent positive that no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get with any of the girls on the cheerleading team; He was sure that Tyler could.

Sure, he was the star of the basketball team but that didn't get him anywhere when his brother was the star of the football team. Groaning he turned away from his bathroom mirror and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Gabriella had been right. They shouldn't have been partners; not when it made Troy sick to his stomach every time she mentioned Tyler. He knew that by sitting next to her he was treading in deep water, knowing that his heart would break and he would surely drown. Why it was so difficult to stay away from her knowing this fact though, he did not know. What he did know though, was that he was going to have to step up his game and move on.

Tyler woke up to the bright sun shining in his face. Groaning, he turned over to look at his clock which read 12:00. He rubbed his hand over his face in an attempt to get rid of his tired eyes and wake himself up more. The TV was on downstairs and he assumed it was Troy watching a basketball game. He stood up and stretched before making his way downstairs himself.

"Good morning sweetie." Lucille said emerging from the kitchen. "What do you have planned for today?" Tyler inwardly rolled his eyes. He hated when his mother asked about his personal life.

"Uh... Probably just hanging out with Gabriella." He responded not wanting to go into detail. Troy's attention was no longer fixated on the TV in front of him. Gabriella seemed to be a more interesting topic than sweaty men chasing after a bright orange ball.

"Why don't you invite her over for dinner? It's been too long since I've seen her." Troy sat up in his seat at the sound of his mother's words. He groaned at his enthusiasm and slapped his hands to his face.

"What the hell is your problem?" Tyler turned to face his brother surprised at his response at the mention of his girlfriend.

"What? Nothing." Troy turned back to the TV quickly. "Basketball. The Suns are losing."

"You hate the Suns." Tyler pointed out not convinced.

"True." Troy responded bluntly not caring that he didn't make sense. Tyler shook his head and made his way to the door.

"Dinner's at six. I expect to see you and Gabriella at the table." Lucille said as Tyler groaned and shut the door. Troy smiled knowing that he was going to be in the same room as Gabriella once again. His day just kept getting better.

Gabriella rushed out of her front door at the sight of Tyler's car in the driveway. She needed a break from her family and he was just the right person for the job. She quickly opened the passenger side door and kissed his shocked face on the cheek.

"Drive." She bluntly stated as the front door of her house opened. He stared at her confused and then turned to her front door. Her dad had just emerged from the house screaming something incoherent. "Drive!" She stated more forcefully making Tyler recollect his composure long enough to press his foot to the petal forcefully. The car raced backwards and then forward when it reached the street.

"Wanna talk about it?" Tyler asked after they were far enough away from the house that they didn't have to worry about being caught. He looked over at her and was surprised to see a smile appear on her face.

"I love you, you know that?" She asked suddenly. He looked back towards the road and shifted in his seat so he was in a more comfortable position.

"You've told me once or twice." He teased but she didn't stop smiling to playfully hit him like she normally would've. The car came to a stop at a red light and Tyler took that time to look over his perfect girlfriend. Her hair was down but it wasn't in its neat curls. It looked as if she hadn't brushed it for days. Her lips weren't coated in shiny gloss that smelled like strawberries like they had been the day before at school. They were plain. She was in East High sweatpants and a tank top. She was absolutely beautiful to him and nothing could change that.

"No, I'm serious. You come and pick me up as soon as you get my text. You drive away as soon as I tell you to with no need to explanation. You're great." She smiled at him and he smiled back. He looked back at the road and started driving once again when his eyes met green. "Let's go shopping."

Troy spent the entire day watching TV and shooting hoops out back with Chad. They were now reluctantly helping his mom set the dinner table. Seeing as they didn't' care for the job they were chosen to do, they didn't bother to try and make it look acceptable.

"Boys. Please, we are having guests for dinner." Mrs. Bolton scolded as she migrated toward the table to make it look better. "Chad, you are welcome to stay too. I know how much your mom has been working lately." Troy looked up from his task at Chad who didn't seem fazed by his mother's remark.

"We're home!" Tyler's voice sounded throughout the house followed by a slamming of the front door. Troy rolled his eyes and continued to focus on setting the table. Gabriella was the first to emerge from the living room into the kitchen. Troy met her eyes for a second before diverting them elsewhere.

"Hello Gabriella. I'm so glad you've decided to eat here. It's been so long since I've seen you." Lucille said politely as Gabriella smiled and nodded in return.

"I know. Tyler just doesn't invite me anymore. I was starting to wonder if I did something wrong the first time." Gabriella joked and looked around the room. "It smells very good Mrs. Bolton and the table looks... nice." Gabriella's eyes stopped at the table. Chad and Troy didn't appear to be doing such a great job.

"Oh, don't mind them. They're just mad because I am making them set the table when basketball is on." Lucille looked around the kitchen and sighed. "Chad, can you help me bring up two chairs from the basement?" Chad looked towards Mrs. Bolton and nodded.

"So... Wanna go upstairs?" Tyler said after an awkward silence that seemed to blanket the room. Gabriella looked at her boyfriend and smiled while nodding her head in confirmation. Tyler started to walk towards the door before abruptly stopping. "Uh... wait here. I'll be right back." And with that Tyler took off running towards his messy room to make it look more presentable. Gabriella looked towards Troy awkwardly and he looked quickly back down at his task of setting the table.

"Listen, Troy.." Gabriella started after sighing.

"No. I get it." Troy cut her off before she had the chance to finish her sentence. She sighed before starting again.

"No, you don't. It's just... I really like your brother and I don't want to mess up my relationship with him over something silly." Gabriella explained feeling the guilt wash right away after telling the truth.

"Again, I get it. We were just lab partners, that's it." Troy said with a hint of sadness that went unnoticed by Gabriella. Although Gabriella was had only really known Troy for a couple of days, she considered him her friend. Now that Troy confirmed that she was wrong she felt really stupid. She opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted.

"Alright, c'mon Gabs." Tyler said holding his hand out to lead Gabriella out the door. The fourth thing that Troy knew for sure was confirmed as he watched his brother's girlfriend exit the room; He needed to get over her. However, it wasn't going to be easy.

**This Chapter was actually supposed to include the dinner and some more Troyella, and Tyler moments but I've had so much homework and I play tennis. So I've been really busy. I'm lucky that I got to finish this part of the chapter today so I decided to update it because I didn't know when the next time I'm going to be able to write is. I'm really grateful for the reviews though. They really do make my day. Again, I'm going to TRY to update within the next week but I can't guarantee it. I'm really sorry but with tennis going until 7 and AP homework taking me until 11 to finish, I really have no time on my hands. Please don't get annoyed and stop reading though. It'll go weekly by October when the tennis season is over. **


	5. Five Minutes

Troy sat down in his regular seat across the table from Tyler. Chad was seated next to Troy while Gabriella had claimed the seat beside Tyler. Lucille walked over to the quiet table and placed a bowl of mashed potatoes in the middle next to the chicken.

"Thank you Mrs. Bolton." Gabriella smiled up at her boyfriend's mother. She looked at Troy from the corner of her eye and watched as he silently put some broccoli on his plate. She followed his actions with the mashed potatoes.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Lucille?" Lucille chuckled and took the seat at the end of the table. Gabriella smiled again and nodded even though she knew that the next time she addressed Mrs. Bolton she wasn't going to say her actual name. Her parents always told her it was rude and she wasn't about to change her habits now.

"Can you pass me the turkey please?" Tyler asked from across the table. Troy looked up and then back down. Chad looked over at Troy then sighed and reached for the turkey to pass it to Tyler.

"Thanks." Tyler said feigning happiness then he turned to Troy to emphasize the word "Chad."

"Give it a rest." Troy mumbled and took another bit of the food he had in front of him. Gabriella smiled awkwardly at Mrs. Bolton who was shaking her head out of irritation.

"So, How was school?" Mrs. Bolton asked suddenly causing all four teenager's attention to be temporarily diverted. Troy rolled his eyes and continued chewing the food in his mouth.

"It's Saturday." Tyler reminded her and then followed in Troy's footsteps. Chad looked at Gabriella as if to say 'at least you don't have to go through this every other night.' Gabriella smiled and looked around the table awkwardly.

"Well, yesterday was good." Gabriella offered helpfully which earned her a thankful look from Lucille.

"Oh yeah? How is that chemistry project going that you and Troy were working on?" Troy coughed awkwardly but kept his attention on the food in front of him.

"Oh, well we switched partners." Gabriella explained sadly and Lucille's face fell.

"That's a shame. You two were having so much fun together." Lucille started separating the food on her plate. "Maybe you could talk to the teacher and ask to switch back." Lucille offered trying to be helpful but over all bringing down the mood of the room.

Tyler looked over at his girlfriend and felt guilt rush through his veins. He hadn't meant for her to think that she couldn't have friends that were guys other than him. He just hated the face that she seemed to be having more fun with Troy, his brother, than she did with him. Looking over at Troy he realized that she wasn't the only upset one. Although it was selfish, Tyler realized while looking at Troy that he had been right to overreact. At least he thought he was right.

"Maybe." Gabriella said while playing with the food on her plate. Suddenly she wasn't so hungry anymore. She looked up at Troy who was currently looking at her. He offered a slight smile which disappeared when Tyler started looking at the two.

"How's the decathlon team coming?" Lucille focused her efforts of conversation towards Gabriella who seemed to be the only one willing to respond.

"Oh, it's great. We have a meet on Friday actually." Troy looked up surprised by the excitement of her voice. It was a five year old talking about her upcoming birthday. He couldn't help but smile at the brightness of her eyes. Chad elbowed him, bringing him back to reality and he looked once again back at his food.

"Tyler, you should go. You don't have football this week." Lucille added happily. She thought it was the best idea. It would give her the chance to clean up the house while Troy was at his basketball game.

"Uh... Well We'll see." Tyler replied unenthusiastically. He hated the decathlon meets. They were always so boring. Sure, he loved being there for Gabriella, but the thought of sitting in the same seat for two hours watching genius's solve math problems was unbearable. He looked at Gabriella and offered a smile that wasn't returned.

"Oh no. I don't expect Tyler to go. After all, he's pretty busy." Gabriella said with venom on her lips. Troy looked up once again and smirked, knowing that a fight was to ensue.

"It's not that I'm too busy, it's that it's-" Tyler stopped himself from going any further so as not to upset his girlfriend.

"It's what?" Gabriella asked angrily. Tyler shook his head signaling that he wasn't going to answer anytime soon. "Go ahead Tyler. Finish your sentence."

"Boring! It's boring!" Gabriella stood up from her seat and looked apologetically at Mrs. Bolton.

"Thank you so much for the food Mrs. Bolton. It was delicious. Tyler, Don't bother picking me up tomorrow morning. I'll get a ride from Taylor." She walked towards the door with everyone except Tyler staring after her surprised.

"Troy. Drive her home." Troy stood up and got the keys from the counter.

"But mom.." Tyler pleaded while also standing up.

"No buts from you. I don't want to hear another word from you for the rest of the night. She was our guest and your girlfriend. You never treat a girl like that." Tyler groaned and stormed up to his room. Chad sat there awkwardly not knowing where he was supposed to go. "Chad, can you pass the salt?"

Troy walked outside and got into the car quickly. He found Gabriella about two houses away and pulled over next to her. She didn't look at him but she sped up. He put down his window.

"Gabriella! Get in." Gabriella looked over surprised then back at the sidewalk in front of her. She debated the options and decided that sitting in a car awkwardly would beat getting raped by some random guy.

"Thanks." She said as she climbed in and fastened her seatbelt.

"So, why exactly do you go to the football games if he doesn't go to what is important to you?" Troy asked after 2 minutes of silence. She looked at him, surprised that he said something, then back at the road in front of them.

"I'm a cheerleader. It's Mandatory."

"What if you weren't a cheerleader?"

"Why do you care?"

"Why wouldn't I? I'm your friend, aren't I?" Troy asked and looked over at the brunette sitting next to him.

"Actually, you made it perfectly clear that we weren't friends." Troy sighed and looked forward again. He saw that coming but didn't want to avoid it.

"Look, I wasn't saying we weren't friends... I was just-"

"Saying that we weren't friends. Yeah, I get it. What I did wasn't fair but if it makes you feel any better, I wish I hadn't."

"And why is that?"

Gabriella looked at Troy again and took in his appearance. He was wearing jeans with an East High shirt. His hair was messy but it looked perfect anyway. She smiled at him and proceeded to answer the question. "Bobby, my new partner smells like fish." She explained truthfully which made Troy laugh.

"So the only reason you miss me is because I don't smell like fish?"

"Well, yeah. What else would I miss?" She teased and he put his free hand to his chest feigning hurt.

"Ouch Montez." Troy smiled when he heard her giggle. "Well, for starters, you miss my absolutely indescribable sense of style. But you also miss my genius-like mind and my hot appearance. Am I right?"

"Well, I wouldn't go as far as calling you hot..." She said giggling. He chuckled in return and pulled up alongside her driveway.

"Liar." He teased and she just shook her head and opened the door.

"Thanks for the ride." And with that Troy watched Gabriella run up the pathway to her house. Once she opened the door, she turned around and waved goodbye with a smile then turned back towards her house and shut the door behind her. Troy looked at the clock. Five minutes since he left. He only had Gabriella to himself for five minutes. He sighed realizing that he craved for more time with her.


	6. Six Words

**Hey. I know the title has kind of already been used for this chapter, but it's very hard to incorporate numbers into the title. So sorry if it bothers you that 3 words and 6 words are similar. Also, please review! The first chapter I got nine really good reviews and the last couple of chapters I got four reviews that were just 'love it'. Please send me your feedback. I need to know what you like and what you don't like. Thanks and Enjoy. **

Troy opened his eyes Monday morning knowing that it was going to be a good day. Sure, it was a Monday and sure, it wasn't ideal to have to wake up at 6 in the morning. But nonetheless he was excited. He shot out of bed and ran to get into the shower before Tyler claimed it.

Tyler, on the other hand, was less enthusiastic. He opened his eyes and felt the sting that always followed crying. His eyes were red and puffy, he knew this without having to look into the mirror. Gabriella, the one person he could always count on for anything, was mad. Actually, mad would be an understatement. He had said that what was important to her was boring. He knew as he was saying it that it was the wrong thing to say but he couldn't hold it in. And now she was mad.

He slowly got out of bed and went over to his dresser to grab a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. Hearing the water already turn on without him in the shower, he groaned. Now he'd be without warm water. The day was just going to get worse, and he knew it. He slammed his fist to his dresser and made his way downstairs. Screw the shower.

Gabriella sat up panting as she put a hand to her heart. She hated _that _dream, but no matter how many told her mind to trash it, the memory wouldn't fade. Quietly, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Since she had taken a shower the night before, she was able to take her time. Although she broke up with Tyler, she wasn't really all that upset. She had her own friends. She didn't need him to tell her who she could and couldn't hang out with and she certainly didn't need him to be at her decathlon meets. She could handle herself; she always could.

Sighing after realizing that she had no ride to school, she grabbed her book bag and took off for the door. Her cell phone started vibrating signaling that she had recently received a text message. She took her phone out of her sweatshirt pocket when she reached the sidewalk and started her walk to school

_ Gabs, I heard about you and Tyler. If there's anything I can do; let me know. Love, Tay_

Gabriella couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips when she read the friendly words. She quickened her walk so as not to be late. Pushing through the front doors of East High, she sighed. Figures everyone would already know about the break up.

"Oh Gabriella. I'm so sorry about you and Tyler." Gabriella smiled softly at a blonde girl who she recognized from her gym class last year came up to her and hugged her. Not wanting to talk anymore she focused her attention back to getting the books she needed for her first two classes. The girl however didn't seem to get the message and remained standing there watching Gabriella intently.

"Can I help you?" Gabriella tried to ask sweetly but wasn't sure whether or not she succeeded. Judging by the girl's confused and surprised face, she hadn't.

"Uh... sorry. I was just wondering if you were ok."

"I'm fine." Gabriella smiled to confirm her overall happiness but for some reason the girl still didn't leave. Instead she stood there looking past Gabriella's head at something happening down the hall from them. Gabriella turned around swiftly and instantly wished she hadn't. Her breakfast was starting to come back up. Tyler was by his locker making out with Sharpay. Gabriella groaned and slammed her locker shut.

"Wait, Gabriella!" The blonde girl came running down the hall to catch up with Gabriella. "You're in my first period class. I'll walk with you." Gabriella inwardly groaned but feigned a smile and nodded.

The day had gone by lower than expected so far. None of the teachers sympathized with Gabriella's recent relationship change and gave them homework. Gabriella groaned as she walked into chemistry. On the board was written 'pick your own lab partners'. Gabriella hated her last lab partner. He smelled, always did. Previously she had been with Troy, but she couldn't go back with him because of Tyler. Not that Tyler was in the picture anymore. Could she?

"Miss Montez, please sit down." Gabriella scanned the room and noticed two extra seats. One next to Marissa Fisher, who had been best friends with her in kindergarten until they got into a fight about who got the last animal cracker. And one next to Troy. She contemplated her two choices for as much time as she could until the teacher told her that if she didn't pick a seat he was going to give her detention. Quickly she sat in the one next to Troy deciding that if Tyler could make out with some girl the day after they broke up that he wasn't worth it.

"So... How are you?" Troy asked awkwardly, not exactly sure what to say to someone who had just broken up with their boyfriend. Everyone else seemed to be making a big deal out of it.

"Don't you start too!" She whisper screamed back. "My G-d! People are treating me as if Zac and Vanessa just broke up!"

"Zac and Vanessa?"

"You know. Hudgens and Efron."

"OH so you're one of those girls..."

"One of what girls?"

"The girls that are like 'O M G. Zac Efron is like a total Hunk.' Those kinds of girls." Troy returned with his best girl impression he could muster. Gabriella laughed in return and Troy smiled, loving that laugh.

"He's hot." Gabriella reasoned while shrugging her shoulders.

"Troy and Gabriella! I did not let you pick your lab partners just so you could talk throughout the lesson." They both looked at each other and then back at their teacher. Soon enough the bell rang dismissing them from the building. Gabriella was shocked by how fast that period had gone.

"So, I guess I won't be seeing you around the house, will I?" Troy asked as they were exiting the classroom.

"I don't know. I mean, we're friends right?" Gabriella asked with a smile on her face.

"Well, yeah..." Troy responded.

"Then invite me over, some time." She said as she left him standing by his locker. He smiled to himself knowing that his time with Gabriella was far from over. As he rode the bus home that day he didn't pay attention to all of the girls bragging about how they got Backstage passes to Justin Bieber. Instead he replayed the 6 words in his head that managed to turn his heart upside down.


	7. Seven Days

It's been a week, a whole seven days since Tyler and Gabriella broke up. A week in which Tyler hooked up with three girls to fill the emotional void that was created when Gabriella left. A week in which Gabriella walked down the hallways trying to avoid the latest gossip that normally included Tyler and his several hookups. A week in which Troy ran to his chemistry class so as to make sure that Gabriella didn't forget to sit next to him.

Tyler wasn't happy. He was fully aware that he was using the girls, and he hated it. The guilt, however, wasn't strong enough to tear him away. They were giving him things that Gabriella wasn't and he figured it was his right as a teenage boy to go after it. What was really killing him though wasn't that he was using the girls, it was that he was using them in spite of Gabriella. He had this undeniable need to make her hurt like she had made him hurt. It was probably because every time she had a problem she came directly to him and he wanted her to need him, but every time his theory was proven false. Whatever the case he was pissed. More with himself than with Gabriella. He didn't understand why he couldn't just go up and talk to her like he used to. Now, it'd be awkward and he hated that. They clicked from the first time they met each other to last week, always telling each other everything. Why did it suddenly all change?

Troy watched his brother sulk around the house every day and couldn't help feel bad for him. Sure, he got what he deserved but was it all really fair? Troy was getting irritated. Day in and day out for the past seven days, Tyler sat on the couch and did his homework. He arrived home when Troy got home, and he stayed home until school started. Troy had no more space. More than that, he hated the way he felt when Tyler was home. Tyler's depressed state was effecting Troy's head. Troy stopped caring about Tyler a while ago because Tyler seemed to stop caring about him. Why did Troy's heart all of a sudden ache at the sight of his distraught brother?

Gabriella was dealing with the pain of her break-up like most girls do: Cry at night, plaster a smile on your face during the day. She didn't care that other people saw her weak, it was when Tyler saw her weak that bugged her. When Tyler saw her in all her glory she felt like his equal, but once she started crying she was instantly looked on as inferior. She figured it was because he was a guy and that guys like strong girls but she couldn't shake the feeling that not all guys were like that. Take Troy for example. He was a guy, yet he always managed to make her feel like she amounted to something other than a pretty face. In Chemistry, he would always allow her to answer so she could voice her opinion, but then he would try to mix in his own opinion as well. He didn't make her do all the work and she liked that. Troy was a breath of fresh air, but there was something inside of her that was steering her back to Tyler. Maybe she was comfortable with the normal considering she'd been with him for almost three years. Troy, though, was different and she liked exploring him. Why was she suddenly comparing the two brothers? Was that really fair?

"What'd you get for the second question?" Taylor asked in the middle of free period. Gabriella glanced at her friend and then back at her paper.

"Square root of 4x." Gabriella replied reading the problem from her carefully written notes. She saw Taylor nod from the corner of her eye and thanked whoever was listening that Taylor got the same answer.

"Gabby, are you really ok?" Gabriella turned back to Taylor with a surprised look plastered on her face. Taylor sighed and elaborated. "I mean, since the breakup you've been acting really distant. Maybe you could just talk to him."

"Oh, no. I'm pretty sure that I'm done with Tyler." Gabriella nodded reassuring herself that the answer was truthful. After nights of thought, she still hadn't really come to a conclusion but she figured it'd be ok to lie to Taylor.

"Are you sure? I mean he's been your boyfriend for like two year.."

"Three."

"Fine, three years. The point is it's been a week since you broke up. How can that be enough time to heal the heart?" Gabriella was no longer listening. She was looking across the library at Troy who was goofing off with Chad Danforth. Gabriella had seen Chad a couple of times but never really had a conversation with him. She made a mental note to do so.

Taylor felt her best friend drifting off and turned to face the way she was staring. At first all she noticed was two ignorant males fighting over a book in the corner. Then she refocused and noticed who they were.

"Unless you found someone else?" Taylor finished her thought and looked at her best friend. Gabriella turned back around and closed her math book.

"I'll be right back." Gabriella grabbed her stuff and ventured across the large library to where Troy and Chad were talking. Taylor sighed and collected her things to follow her best friend into the trouble she knew was going to ensue. "Hey guys!"

Chad looked up unsurely before speaking. "Hey." He turned back to Troy to continue to carry out the conversation that Gabriella had previously interrupted. When he noticed that Gabriella's presence didn't seem to be going away he looked back over and sighed. "Can we help you?"

"No-not really. I mean, I just came over to say hi." Gabriella was taken aback by Chad's rude behavior and turned to Troy for help who was presently glaring at Chad. "So... I guess I'll see you later." Gabriella turned to walk away, but stopped in her tracks when she heard the voice she came over to talk to.

"No. You can stay. We were just talking about this book." Gabriella turned back around to sit down and join the conversation.

"Twilight? You guys read Twilight?"

"NO!" Troy exclaimed. "Well, I didn't. Chad did." He sighed when he mentioned the latter.

"Oh... well that's cool." Gabriella didn't know what exactly there was left to say so she remained silent and let the boys carry on their previous discussion.

"I thought it was pretty good." Chad mumbled as Troy took the book out of his hands dramatically.

"What's so great about it anyway?" Troy argued back putting the book back onto the table.

"Edward." Gabriella explained simply looking at Chad with a smile.

"See?" Chad waved his arms dramatically. "She agrees with me?"

"What? That Edwards is a hunk?" Gabriella giggled at Chad's reaction to Troy's words.

"No... that's a good book, asshole."

"What are you guys talking about?" Taylor said quietly as she approached the table.

"Twilight and it's weird ability to make teenage girls wish that Rob Pattinson would bite them." Troy explained as Taylor sat down.

"Oh, please. The Twilight obsession is all about a stupid guy who claims he's a vampire even though he resembles a fairy more." Taylor stated bluntly and Gabriella as well as Chad sighed dramatically.

"Thank you!" Troy exclaimed.

"Vampires are dominant creatures on the Earth. They possess power and strength. But Twilight allows people to see the finesse and carefulness that comes with those qualities." Gabriella argued back.

The conversation between the four came easily, never once allowing for an awkward silence to take hold. They talked about movies, classes, and old memories that they wanted to resurface. It continued this way until the last ten minutes of free period.

Tyler made his way into the library to find a book that his teacher was making him read for extra credit. He would've avoided the section that his ex-girlfriend was in if it hadn't been for some idiot who put his book in the wrong section. He was led into the resources section, where they kept the encyclopedias, and saw them. They appeared to be having a great time, laughing more than he had in ages. It wasn't the fact that Gabriella was happy; it wasn't even the fact that she was flirting with a guy: it was _who_ she was flirting with that pissed him off. After debating in his head for several minutes, he decided that confrontation was 100% necessary. He walked up briskly and slammed his book onto the table.

"Oh... uh. Hey Tyler." Troy said awkwardly as his brother stormed over to the table.

"Don't 'hey' me, asshole!" Tyler screamed causing everyone in the library to look over. Troy just shook his head, allowing the insult to go over his head. He would wait until later to retaliate, he wasn't one for public scenes.

"What do you want?" Taylor asked, not wanting to be rude but appearing so anyway.

"I wanted to talk to Gabriella."

"Oh, hey Tyler. I almost didn't see you there." Gabriella spoke, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"Don't start with me, Gabs."

"You already started it!" Gabriella screamed back causing unwanted eyes to be cast upon her.

"Fine, stop flirting with my brother!"

"I'm allowed to flirt with anyone I want to. We made that clear when we broke up, remember?" Gabriella stood up and collected her books. "I got to go guys. I'll talk to you later." And with that she left the room, not once turning back with Taylor following closely behind.

"Stay away from my girlfriend." Tyler growled at Troy who rolled his eyes to return.

"Ex." Troy corrected and continued to talk to Chad about previous topics, ignoring Tyler's fist coming in contact with the table they were sitting at. He's known Tyler too long to be scared. He wouldn't be scared, not one bit. He was just as much a part of Gabriella's life too, now. He had his chances and he was sure as hell going to take them.

**No excuse for this being SO late, other than school, but we've all heard that before. I'm sorry. I'll try to update Unconnected Love sometime within the next week. Don't forget to Review!**


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